No Other Gods - Week 1 Day 2

Day 2 of this study takes us to
2Kings 17:41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

The study uses the first part of the verse about how we can worship God at the same time that we are serving our idols.  But when I read the whole verse I saw the part about how their children continued on that path.  I want to correct this in my life so that my children do not have to follow the same path.  This is my purpose, my mission is to train my children to know God.  Suddenly this whole study has a new light shining on it, doesn't it?!  Let's keep going....

In 2Kings 17 verses 14 and 15 there was something that I pulled out to relate to how I see many Christians today.

v14 But they would not listen... (to the prophets warning them not to have idols)
v15 ...They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

There are so many people who claim to be Christians, they may even regularly attend church. But in fact they are still very much caught up in the world.  They are hearing the Word but they are not listening to it and are not walking out their faith.  Instead, they are caught up in the world, following or imitating what the world is doing rather than truly following Christ. 

Read verse 15 again...It is saying that anytime we are not following Christ we are following the world or in the Bible's words, we are pursuing worthless idols and are therefore worthless.  Ouch!  Well that certainly is a big stomp on my toes.  How about you?  Does that give you a big ol'kick to get your attention?  Let's keep digging...and growing!

Next we look at what we do when we are focusing on an idol.
2Kings 17:35-36
35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.

There are 4 "do not's" in these verses
Do not worship
Do not bow down
Do not serve
Do not sacrifice

These are all "churchy" words.  What does this really mean though?  What does it look like if we are doing these?  The study asked if there was a progression building in these actions.  Here is what I think....

Worship - this what we are paying attention to, something that has captured our attention and when we worship we are starting to really focus in on it.  Worship is adoration, it is special to us.

Bow down - Now our focus has really shifted, we are truly focusing our thoughts on it to the point that other things are no longer important or we have lost our focus on those other things

Serve - here we see a shift from maybe a focus of our thoughts to a focus of our time and efforts.  Whatever we are focused on is now also consuming our time and efforts.

Sacrifice - beyond just our thoughts and time, when we sacrifice it costs us something.  You are giving up something valuable, a piece of yourself, your resources, etc.


Where our focus is, that should be where we serve and where we sacrifice.  So where is your focus?  This should be a first clue to where you may have an idol.

No Other Gods - Week 1 Day 1

It's been awhile since I used this blog as a Bible study tool.  Long story short...I am in a new season of commitment to deeper study as well as in a new season of accountability not only to my core group of BFF's but also to the ladies that are in my Bible Study group.  Using this platform is my effort to meet that commitment.  Ok enough of that...let's get to Bible Study.  Time to Grow :-)

We are starting the study by Kelly Minter "No Other Gods" and I need to first start by giving all the credit for these posts to Kelly Minter because these posts will be driven from and guided by where her Bible study leads us over the next several weeks.  I have no idea yet how I will even develop these posts or what format they will take.  I am simply diving in.  If you are joining me in these posts.  Welcome!  I need you to know that I am really doing this more for myself as a way to keep me on track, but my prayer is that you will find something in these posts or in Kelly's study to help you grow in your relationship with God too.

This study is based on the verse
Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other Gods before me.

This of course, is the first of the 10 commandments and seems pretty clear.  We should only have one God in our lives and through our relationship with Jesus we have a clear path to a relationship with God.  Right.  Seems simple enough, and it really is.  Until we get involved and start messing it up.

As soon as we have something else in our hearts and minds that replaces God we suddenly have an idol in our lives and therefore we have a god besides God.

The verse that jumped out at me in the study was
Psalm 119:33 Guide my steps by your word,
    so I will not be overcome by evil.

In the study guide the term that is used was "that masters and rules us".  And for me it really puts a different light on what an idol really is. When you think of an idol, our imagination very quickly takes us to an idol being something similar to that golden calf which the Israelites bowed down to.   I certainly don't have anything like that in my life.  I also thought of an idol as anything that was distracting me from being in the Word.  But in my heart I knew it was more than that. 

It is the focus....what in my life is mastering me or ruling me.  What is it in my life that is allowing me to be "overcome by evil"?  What is drawing me into sin?  Are there sins (and idols) that I don't even know about yet?   Whatever these are in my life, then that is the idol I have and therefore that is the god I am putting before my God.   Yikes!  Are you ready to dig into this study?  I know I am!!!